Entries Tagged 'Sioux Empire Fair' ↓

Chuck Brennan proposed to the Fair Board that he wanted to sponsor the SE Fair next year. He wants to market the fair next year through his TV shows, radio station, reality show and other media associated with his mega pawnshop. If the SEF doesn’t buy the advertising package they would not be able to hire Hairball a la carte for SEF 2016.

It sounds like an all or nothing deal.

I haven’t seen the actual proposal yet, but as I understand it the Fair Board will probably reject the plan.

The irony of it all is that the fair is right before the 2016 election in which a payday initiative may be on the ballot.

First he stopped people from petitioning their government on the fair grounds (which are owned by the people petitioning the government) now he wants to fine bands for using cuss words (a clear violation of 1st Amendment rights).

Not sure what country Wick is from, but he doesn’t sound like he is from America.

Sure, cuss words and pesky petition gatherers can be annoying, but guess what, they have rights, the US constitution guarantees these rights.

It reminds me of something Lucinda Williams said about one of her songs a few years back in concert, she was going to perform the song on the ‘Today’ show, and they asked her to censor some parts of the song (it is about masturbation, and other stuff). She told them she was going to perform the song ‘as is’ or not at all. This was of course about 60 seconds before air. She performed the song ‘as is’ and she said this, “And guess what? No one died, and no one got hurt.”

‘Tracy was sincerely disappointed that he couldn’t perform last year due to weather”, says Scott Wick, Fair Manager, “He made a point to personally meet with us at our convention in Las Vegas last fall to work out his return as to not disappoint his South Dakota fans.”

Maybe I am wrong about this, and hopefully music guru Hudson can chime in, but does the SE Fair really have to attend conventions to bring in musical acts? We have things called telephones and email to work out contracts now.

This long article in the Gargoyle Leader (not written by my favorite journalist) talks about a lot of unknowns and gives some people an out;

Sweetman Construction, which owns the huge quarry adjacent to the fairgrounds, could be a logical buyer. The company is interested in acquiring the site for the quartzite underlying it. But only if the county wants to sell, according to CEO Patrick Sweetman. He strongly makes the point the company is not trying to force a sale.

“We are always looking out for the future of our business and looking at our potential for reserves,” Sweetman says. Acquiring the fairgrounds to expand the quarry makes good business sense. However, it “is one of the multiple options we’ve got on the table,” he says.

Damn right is does. But he just wants us to believe that it hasn’t been under serious consideration . . . yeah . . . right.

All that said, however, Hajek thinks the busy county commission would not be adverse to dealing with a fairgrounds sale yet this year.

“If the right pieces came together, I think we would act and do something,” she says.

I’m sure you would not be ‘adverse’ to selling the land. You are on your way out, what do you have to lose, or better yet GAIN from the sale?

IMO, leave the fairgrounds where they are at, they serve a purpose, and they make money when people are not stealing from them.

He (Mayor Huether) makes it clear he wants the city to be a fair advocate. On an ad-hoc basis, the city could assist with projects such as fixing fairgrounds potholes.

Why don’t we start by paving the entire lot by the EXPO building? Maybe Sweetman would like to donate some paving materials?

Again, I gotta wonder. . who believes that the fair is such an albatross around the county’s neck..especially after it was discovered that the person responsible for the fiancial shortfalls is sitting in the pokie?

The terms of the gift also stated that, “In the event of the failure of the grantee to hold such fairs or exhibitions for five consecutive years, then, in that event, the said premises and title shall immediately revert to the grantor or next of kin to the grantor, with the right of immediate possession.

And these questions still remain;

• Is one of the commissioners an attorney representing the company wanting to purchase the land?

• Did several commissioners receive political contributions from the company wanting to buy the land?

• Does the company that wants to purchase the land do the appraisal of the property?

• Would there be a posibility of a referendum for a public vote if the county commission decides to sell the land?

The local MSM media needs to start doing more digging before it is too late. Like I have said, if some company wants the land, sell it to them, but you better be building us a whole new fairgrounds (with the possibility of connecting it with a new Events Center) and the county better be getting yearly dividend checks from the quarry.

Minnehaha County commissioners could move forward soon on the question of what to do with the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, including the prospect of selling the land and moving the Sioux Empire Fair to a new location.

“I think it will be soon,” Commissioner Dick Kelly said. “It’s been an information-gathering process. Now we’ve got all the facts, or opinions.”

Kelly said he hopes all the questions are settled before officials begin work on the next budget, which starts next month. The fairgrounds, he added, have an effect on both the county’s short- and mid-term budget outlook.

Sanford already has submitted two reports to the county, including one that analyzes the legal issues as to whether the county can sell the land. Kelly characterized them as “draft reports,” meaning they are not available to the public.

And there isn’t many answers in the rest of the story either.

Sweetman Construction, which operates a nearby quarry, has been mentioned as a possible buyer for the site, but Sanford said there has been no talk of selling the land and no negotiations.

Usually when I hear rumors, I like to ask; Are these rumors or truth? Or I don’t say anything at all. But tonight, I am only asking questions, and wonder if anyone in the SF MSM is going to ask the same questions? Here they are . . . (based on reliable sources)

• What ever happened to the appraisal of the SE Fairgrounds?

• What ever happened to the legal assessment if they could be sold or not?

• Is it fair for the same company that wants to buy the quarry rich fairgrounds (Sweetman?) to be giving the appraisal on the land?

• Is it true that a certain county commissioner who happens to be a lawyer is representing the same firm that wants to buy the fairgrounds? Is that a gigantic conflict of interest?

It seems some questions need to be asked and answered. Personally I don’t have a problem with the fairgrounds being bought, as long as the buyer built a modern facility at another location and gave a commission on the quarry sales.

We will see how this pans out, DaCola isn’t the only one that got a hot tip on this, keep you eyes open.

It was nearly five months ago when the Sioux Empire Fair came to the county for financial help. Tuesday, interim fair CEO Tryg Fredrickson gave the county a check to pay back that $216,000 loan.

“We had a good year, wasn’t great. But we’re still in the hole, we’re not out of the hole. We still got a lot of work to work ourselves out of it,” Fredrickson said.

Fredrickson said the net income of the 70th annual fair was up considerably compared to 2008, but sponsorship money was down.

And finally, a public official states the obvious;

“Matt Adamski, who apparently was either incompetent or just stupid, who at this point we know, and he knows, that the gifts that he received were bought with stolen money. I would urge him to return those gifts,” Barth said.

It’s about time someone started connecting the dots.

“I’m delighted that you’re able to make me eat my words and pay us back and we can continue on with the fair, so congratulations,” Kelly said.

And I will have to agree with Dick Kelly, Congrats! It’s kinda like being mugged, you can either hide in fear, or you can get out of bed the next morning and walk to the bus stop, the SE Fair decided to walk to the bus stop.